The Man of Tomorrow?
by TheAnomally
Summary: Something is discovered at an old facility what is in side could change the course of the future.
1. Thoughts of the Past

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the "Smallville", DC, or "Static Shock" characters nor am I receiving any fundage for this intrepid undertaking. Summery: Well I got to thinking as, probably a lot of other people have Lex from all three seasons was hardly the type to even over time become the awful Lex Luthor we know of in DC Comics. Alexander Joseph Luthor would rather die then become anything like his father, and in turn his father would never allow him to not become him. Here's a future fiction snippet on what I think occurred.  
  
The Man of Tomorrow?  
  
~~~Thoughts of the Past. ~~~  
  
It always bothered Clark Kent; A.K.A Superman, how it had come to this. His once best friend; Lex Luthor, was now his strongest enemy. It never seemed like this would happen. Lex had always treated him like a younger brother, and that's how it felt.  
  
Lex had come to Smallville to run the fertilizer plant. Of course, Lex preferred to be anywhere but there, but soon the young Luthor carved out a niche. Sure Lex had secrets, a dark past, things he preferred to leave in the past. Clark too had his secrets, perhaps that what tore them apart. Lex pointed this possibility out once right before Clark went off to the Spring Formal.  
  
Superman pondered these thoughts as he thought about his last match with Lex. It was another take over the world thing, no different from the others, except the methodology was different. Lex had changed so much; it was like listening to Lionel Luthor gloat and revel, but looking at Lex Luthor. He tried to reason that the new behavior was due to the electroshock Lex had received in Belle Reve sanitarium. The hand of Lionel Luthor was cruel, and no one was safe. Clark had known Lex was completely sane, just drugged. He would have gotten Lex out of there in time but he hesitated. Thinking back, that mere pause had cost Lex a chunk of his memory and scarred his personality from then on.  
  
He had to know, trace it back to the beginning to find out where and how two best friends had become mortal enemies. It was something he had to do, something that was nagging at him deep with in his mind. Lois would never understand, but he did not expect her to. He had already been to the caverns back in the town of Smallville where he had grown up; there was nothing there, but cave drawings and rocks. On his way back to Metropolis, he paused over the bridge and river where he had first run into Lex. Check that! Where Lex had, well, drove into him on that fateful day. How could one not forget 60 miles per hour of Porsche speed-slamming into him, pulling the older bald man from the car, and then giving him the breath of life. Those were the good old days, hanging out at the Talon, or at the castle. Lex was just like a big brother to him, and nothing like Lionel Luthor at all. Lex was compassionate, calm, and funny in a reserved way. Sure, he had darkness in him; but he always cancelled it out by doing the right thing in the end.  
  
Leaving Smallville behind; his next stop was Cadmus Labs, another part of the past that deserved closer inspection. The Lab, though closed for sometime now, was a repeat mention in his history with Lex Luthor of the past. Maybe, there would be a machine there to help turn back the hands of time; so Superman or even Clark Kent would be able to save the one person he really wanted to save. Entering the empty modest sized building, he used X-ray vision to look for clues of any kind. This was the first time he, himself, had stepped foot into the lab, before, he could not because of the kryptonite that was stored within. The Justice League had said they had cleared out all the meteor rocks they could find. He was not able to be present at any of the matches or clean up at the lab because of the kryptonite. Using his X-ray vision once more he scanned the floor, the ceiling, and then the walls. As he turned to the last wall, he found that his vision did not penetrate it. This meant that the last wall was made of lead. Why would anyone make a wall of lead? The other walls were normal plaster walls; each with some sort of storage closet behind it filling the room to the outer wall of the building. This inconsistency peaked Superman's curiosity. One swift punch was all it took for the plaster mask of the wall to crumble into broken pieces. Gleaming behind the façade was the dull gray of metal, the lead wall. Interestingly enough, the lead wall had a door. Using his heat vision he melted the hinges on the door and pulled it out of the jam. It was then Superman started to feel a familiar sickness; this illness was always brought on when meteor rocks were somewhere close by. Superman stumbled back, glad for once that he had not tossed the door aside like he would have normally done. Putting it between himself and the room, the effects of the green kryptonite started to wear off.  
  
"I need someone to come to Cadmus Labs; I've found something interesting." Superman said speaking into his communicator.  
  
Just as he finished speaking, a red streak blasted into the room.  
  
The Flash AKA Wally West, stopped as he got to Superman. "I came as fast as I could, what's up?"  
  
Superman motioned toward the secret room.  
  
The Flash rubbed his hands together. "Neato a hidden room, wonder why we did not catch that before."  
  
Just then the duo was joined by another duo, two teenagers one dressed in blue and yellow, the other in green and blue. Neither of the teens' outfits were spandex or tights.  
  
"Static, Gear, glad you could make it." Superman stated.  
  
Static smiled. "Wouldn't miss out on a mission for anything. So what's up S- man?"  
  
Static and Gear were not from Metropolis; they had come from Dakota to get more training from the Justice League. They had first met the teens when they needed help defeating a foe known as Brainiac. Static Shock AKA Virgil Hawkins, is an African American male with the ability to use electromagnetic powers; he can fire bolts of electricity, make charged force fields, and propel himself thru the air. Gear AKA Richie Foley, is Caucasian with a super powered intellect that gives him the ability to build and design everything he is geared up with.  
  
Superman, once again, motioned to the room he had found. The Flash was already heading inside.  
  
"Yo Flash, wait for back up." Gear called out and headed that way.  
  
Static started to go as secondary back up to Flash and Gear, but he stopped. "What's with the door S-man? You coming or are you just going stay here and hold that?"  
  
Superman nodded. "There's kryptonite; I'll stay here until you guys find out what's in there."  
  
Static nodded and followed Gear across the main lab and into the room.  
  
The room was small and bare, except for a machine sitting in the center with glowing green lights coming out of the back.  
  
Flash scratched at the cowl that covered his head. "What is this?"  
  
"Let me have backpack run a scan on it." Gear said.  
  
The backpack on his back sprung to life as a scanner snaked out and ran up and down the length of the large device. The results of the scan would be transmitted to the visor hanging before his eyes.  
  
Static walked around the machine. "Freaky, it looks like one of those sleep chambers you see in those space movies."  
  
Flash bent over the top of the apparatus and brushed his hand along the smooth surface. "It looks like a glass top; but it's fogged over I can't see inside. Sure wish I had X-ray vision; then I could have this mystery solved and go get a pizza."  
  
Static chuckled. "Not the most patient hero, are you, Flash? Just chill, Gear is good with this sort of thing. He'll be done in no time and you will soon be up to your ears in pizza."  
  
"Whoa guys, you won't believe this. That is exactly what it look like, and there is someone in it. To top it all off, the whole thing is powered by kryptonite." Gear said as he looked thru the data transmitted from backpack's scan.  
  
Flash jumped back. "You mean there's a freeze-dried person in there?!"  
  
Static smirked at Flash's reaction. "Bigger question! Is that someone alive? If so, can we get that someone out of there?"  
  
Gear stepped closer to the gadget. Looking between it and the reading on his visor, he found the control panel. He knelt down to take a look at what was what; soon, he felt uncomfortable as Flash and Static looked over both of his shoulders. If he were to shrug, he would pop both of them in their chins.  
  
"Uh guys, as much as I enjoy our close friendship, I am thinking; right now, you both are too close." Gear said  
  
Both of them stepped back mumbling apologies. Flash, then, left to go fill Superman in on what they had found.  
  
"I heard everything Flash." Superman said as Flash reached him.  
  
Flash nodded, "I know; it was just an excuse. I was feeling old in there, and somewhat useless."  
  
"What's wrong Flash? Can't keep up with the peanut galley?" Superman joked.  
  
Flash shook his head, "I can keep up with electro-kid any day, but it's Gear. He's saying stuff, a lot of stuff, but darned if I know WHAT it all means. The kid is a whiz. Batman may be able to keep up, but even that is a half and half chance."  
  
"I got some of it. I think what he said, in simple talk, was that he was going to start the thawing process." Superman chuckled.  
  
Flash started bouncing on his toes. "How long do you think that'll take? Maybe, I should go get a pizza; you know, some brain food."  
  
"Go get some pizza and NO anchovies and pineapple. We'll probably be here for a while." Superman said.  
  
Flash shot Superman a grin and, in a blink, the high speed hero was gone.  
  
Pizzas eaten; the foursome had waited and waited. The thawing process would take longer than expected. Gear had explained that it was because the pod had not been regularly maintained in some time; though from cache files, the pod had been defrosted and refrozen many times in the past. The last handful of cycles had been more like clockwork; they decided to take the pod with them. Since removing and disposing of the kryptonite energy cell, Superman hefted the pod easily as if it was made of Styrofoam. It was brought back to the Halls of Justice and put in a safe-med room. Gear excused himself from the evening patrol and continued to monitor the thawing process. 


	2. Next Morning

~~~ Next Morning ~~~  
  
Evening left and morning came, and the heroes of the city went to work getting breakfast ready for themselves. This process was interrupted by Gear, who called them on the intercom.  
  
"It's done." He, simply, said.  
  
Flash looked around his mound of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausages, and waffles. "Oh can't it wait? I haven't even had my first helping yet."  
  
Superman got up. "I'm curious; food can wait."  
  
He grabbed a stray waffle as he turned to go and ate it as he left. Static Shock followed him; Flash was left alone at the table.  
  
He grumbled then sat up straight. "Waste to let all this food get cold."  
  
In a blur of red, the contents of the table decreased until every speck of fare was reduced to crumbs. Flash patted his swelling stomach and followed, not in a flash though, as his stomach started to protest the overfilling. He, now, looked more like Stimpy than a super-fast super-hero.  
  
He caught up with the others in the med room. One glimpse of his newly formed pot belly earned the speed champion a look from the others.  
  
Static ribbed his friend. "Good thing you wear a super stretchy suit or you'd be in real trouble. So when do you give birth?"  
  
"Oh I forgot all about breakfast; it was my turn to cook." Gear exclaimed.  
  
Superman shook his head. "Did you save any for us? Anything at all?"  
  
Flash hiccupped. "Uh, nope, sorry."  
  
Static spoke up. "So who's the popsicle in the pod?"  
  
"We'll find out in a moment; I'm having back pack break the code locking the whole thing." Gear stated.  
  
Flash belched out. "Locked? You mean there's, like, a combination to break?"  
  
"Yes, it's a seven digit system. It's a bit tricky; back pack already ran the simple decoder programs on it." Gear informed.  
  
Flash hiccupped again. "Seems like pretty harsh security for just a frozen person. You're sure it is a person, right?"  
  
Flash looked from Superman to Gear and back again.  
  
Static poked Flash in the gut. "Don't worry. If it's a monster, I'll protect you since you are in such a weak state."  
  
Flash groaned as the ache in his belly increased; his food shifted uneasily.  
  
Static not being the most patient person. "Hey S-man, why don't you just use your x-ray eyes to see who's inside?"  
  
"Come on, and ruin the surprise?" Gear exclaimed.  
  
Superman shook his head. "Chalk it up to an exercise in using our minds over our powers."  
  
The truth was that Superman could not believe his own x-ray eyes. What was in that pod was not possible. If it was, then what he had found and what they were about to open would be a virtual Pandora's Box. If he were to tell the others, they would rather blow up the pod, then, open it with such meticulous care. There were answers in that pod and he had to have the answers to all his questions.  
  
"Got it!!" Gear announced.  
  
There was a hiss and a cloud of cold fog sprayed out from the pod as it opened. The others stepped back, falling into place beside Superman. The fog kept the others from seeing the inhabitant right off. Soon the mist cleared and inside the capsule lay Lex Luthor.  
  
"Oh my God, what is HE doing here?!" A female voice called out.  
  
Superman turned his head seeing Wonder Woman stride into the room. Her fists were balled as if she was ready to pummel Lex, right there on the spot.  
  
Flash turned, looking at her, then at Superman. "You knew it was him, didn't you? That's why you wouldn't tell us."  
  
"He was probably afraid we'd shut down the system instead of opening it." Gear said still staring at Lex.  
  
Flash nodded. "No probably about it. He's right; I would have shocked that thing to overload."  
  
"What's with you Superman?! You let that DEVIL of a man right into our secret lair." Wonder Woman AKA Diana yelled.  
  
Superman stepped forward, putting himself between them and Lex. "I know, but think just for a moment. Lex Luthor is in high security lockup; he hasn't moved since we put him there. Check for yourselves if you don't believe me. Look at him! He looks like Lex, but he's not a day over thirty- five. There's something deeper going on here. Until we find out what it is, we should not jump to conclusions."  
  
"Whoa, Whoa! We, just, need to take a breath and calm down." Gear stated.  
  
Static interjected. "Why? As we heard it, Lex Luthor is the reason for all the misery in Metropolis."  
  
"Review the information on the data base. The pod was activated 20 years ago with the patient.....uh, I mean Lex, or whoever....in it." Gear stated.  
  
Flash grumbled. "And your point?!"  
  
"Well, the Luthor we fought is in prison, still in prison; we've seen this. Last we saw of him, he did not look this young, and he was short one hand." Gear rationalized.  
  
Superman nodded. "I say we take a blood sample, get a genetic scan, and find out what is going on here. Anyway, I won't let anyone attack a helpless person, and that is that."  
  
"Well I won't have any part of this..this MADNESS." Wonder Woman raged and stormed out.  
  
Flash nodded and followed. "Yea, I'm with her."  
  
With the rest of the Justice League away with much needed time off; that left Superman, Static Shock, and Gear. Static Shock stood for a moment, then, headed towards the door.  
  
He sighed. "I hate to agree with the mob; but they have a point, no matter how incredible this all seems."  
  
Superman to Gear. "What about you?"  
  
"I'm curious, and I have more information than they have. Only problem is, that I can't really help medically; I'm a techno nerd not a doctor." Gear stated.  
  
Superman nodded, "I would call in some favors at Metropolis General; but I doubt anyone would help, once they see the patient."  
  
"We can always call Batman, send the information backpack collected and see if he and Alfred will agree to help." Gear said.  
  
Superman nodded and Gear went over to the computer in the med room. He opened up a link to Gotham City and sent the information and proposal directly to the Bat cave. Batman, AKA Bruce Wayne, was only called on lately when he was, absolutely, needed. The normally, brooding, super hero had exceptional deductive skills and was an asset to the League.  
  
"Now what?" Gear asked.  
  
Superman looked at Lex. "All we can do is wait. Let's move him out of the pod and into a bed."  
  
"I could run some scans, just, to check up on his current state." Gear proposed.  
  
Superman nodded and Gear went to work. 


	3. Questions Arise More and More

~~~Questions arise more and more .~~~  
  
After several hours, Batman and his friend/butler Alfred arrived at the Halls of Justice. Lex no longer felt cold to the touch, but was cool. It was eerie touching a living person that felt so cold. The monotone beep of the heart monitor from the scanner let Gear and Superman know that Lex was alive.  
  
Superman went out to meet Batman on the landing deck. He then escorted them to the med room.  
  
Alfred looked at Lex. "It certainly appears to be young Mister Luthor."  
  
Batman nodded in agreement. He was a man of few words.  
  
"Thanks for coming Batman, you too Alfred." Gear stated.  
  
Alfred looked at Batman. "Shall I get to work?"  
  
Batman nodded and Alfred bent over the unconscious young man. On the table near the bed was everything Alfred would need to start an IV and draw blood. Superman, Gear, and Batman retreated to the monitoring room to use the computer; they started to review in depth all the data backpack had retrieved. After that, they planned to go over the remaining data still in the pod's memory banks.  
  
Suddenly from the next room there was a loud crashing noise. "NO!! GET AWAY FROM ME!! DON'T TOUCH ME!!" A voice hollered out from the adjacent room.  
  
Alfred called out between the shouts. "I need some assistance please."  
  
The three hurried back into the room. Alfred was on the floor; the medical supplies were scattered around him. On the bed, Lex was lashing out with his arms and fists.  
  
Gear went over to Alfred and helped him up. "What happened besides the fact that he woke up?" Gear asked.  
  
Alfred hung on to the younger man trying to steady himself. "I was attempting to draw some blood samples when he just came to life, all quite suddenly. He needs to be held down, carefully, since the needle is still in his arm."  
  
Superman and Batman took positions on either side of the bed and placed their hands on Lex's shoulders; each grabbed a flying wrist. They gently pressed Lex to the mattress; Gear, with Alfred's consent, went to hold Lex's legs.  
  
"NO GET OFF ME!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!!" Lex screamed out, struggling fiercely.  
  
Superman talked to Lex in a soothing voice. "Lex, Lex it's me Clark. Clark Kent, you're OK."  
  
Alfred stepped up and retrieved the broken needle from Lex's arm. Despite the calm words, Lex continued to struggle. Alfred drew some blood and then started an IV. He injected a mild sedative and soon Lex's struggle started to die down.  
  
"Don't do this to me; Clark where are you?!" Lex shouted. Soon his cries quieted down. Batman and Superman released the young man as the sedative kicked in.  
  
Alfred informed. "I've started an intravenous line and administered a mild sedative to, of course, calm him down."  
  
"Clark, where are you? You always come just in time; I know your secret. I remember, I remember it all. Save me, just in time, like always." Lex mumbled.  
  
Alfred handed the blood sample over to Batman; the elder gent then started to check the younger man out medically. Though the scan had been run, Alfred trusted the human factor over all. Batman and Gear went to analyze the blood sample.  
  
An excruciating hour passed and Alfred finished up his exam. Even though he was not truly a doctor, he knew enough to be one without the title. Caring for two full-time live-in superheroes for many years had enriched his knowledge for the medical arts.  
  
Batman and Gear returned after reading over the findings of both the medi- scan and the blood work up. "I've finished looking over the young man; and, for what he's been through, he is in pretty good shape. His muscles are weak from lack of use, but not atrophied. There are scars from past injection marks and epidermis samples taken. The worst injury seems to be bruising from the freezing process on his eyes." Alfred said.  
  
Superman broke in as Alfred inhaled. "You mean he's blind?"  
  
"Yes, for now. As I was saying before, the scarring is only temporary. In time it should pass as the cells, vessels, and tissues reduce to normal size." Alfred continued.  
  
Batman and Gear nodded in agreement having read pretty much the same diagnosis off the computer. When all eyes shifted to them, Gear felt intimidated.  
  
Batman took the reins. "The scan pretty much backs what Alfred found and the blood tests confirm that this is Alexander Joseph Luthor."  
  
"Yea! The blood information shows that this guy has an incredibly elevated white count level; it's off the charts." Gear broke in.  
  
Superman piped in. "Lex has always had an elevated white count; it was a side effect from the meteors that fell in Smallville. He was nine and in a cornfield when a meteor fell not too far from him. The energy from it caused him to lose all his hair; and later, it was found that it also gave him the white count thing."  
  
Batman continued. "The scars on his arms are from needle punctures the same gauge used to siphon blood, larger holes where biopsy samples were taken as well as skin samples."  
  
"It seems while Lex was incased in the pod, it was opened periodically for samples to be taken. Someone appears to be harvesting blood and DNA material for something." Gear finished. The added information caused a silence to fall over the room, as all within looked at the sleeping form on the bed.  
  
Then a new voice piped in. "He probably deserved it."   
  
Gear looked back seeing Static by the door. "No one deserves this, or that." Gear stated.  
  
Static sighed. "I understand S-man's emotion in this. He and Luthor used to be friends. Why you Gear?"  
  
"Come on Virgil, you know as well as I that some things are never what they seem. We've never, personally, faced off against Lex Luthor, so I cannot formulate a hate as easily as some can." Gear rationalized.  
  
Static crossed his arms over his chest. "Richie, you've heard the stories about what that guy has done. He's one bad dude; there is no silver lining in that cat's cloud!"  
  
Alfred stepped in. "Perhaps, the cat you speak of, the one still incarcerated, is the bad apple. The person though, laying here, could be the silver lining, theoretically, speaking."  
  
"Well, with that bit of Zen said, we know the start of this mystery. Now if we only knew the rest of the pieces." Gear said.  
  
Batman shifted his weight, "It's too bad Martian Manhunter is not here; we could really use his telepathic abilities right now." Martian Manhunter AKA J'Onn J'Onzz is the last survivor from an ancient race from Mars with telepathic, shape-shifting, and density phase shifting abilities.  
  
Superman sighed. "Guess the only one that can fill in the blanks is Lex."  
  
Again, the foursome plus one turned and looked back at the sleeping man. Silence once more filled the fortress of solitude; the type of quiet that only breeds more questions. 


	4. Theories but Answers Forbidden

NOTE: I forgot to put this in the other chapters. I don't know all there is to know about the League of Justice, or Static Shock and Gear. I only know what I saw of SS & G on the TV when I get to see it. I do not have Cartoon Network to see the new League of Justice I only caught wind of the new group when they had a cross-over on Static Shock. Now I get all my info from various web sites; and that is that. AND I know that the time of the new LoJ; Lex Luthor is no longer a real threat, that's why I put him in prison.(Not the asylum where all the super villains seem to sooner or later escape from wether it is Arkum or Belle Reve.))  
  
~~~Theories but Answers Forbidden.~~~  
  
Superman had gone to the prison and collected a stored blood sample on the Lex Luthor imprisoned there. The results of that test had raised some flags; the genetic makeup was identical on all obvious markers. It was the little flaws between the two samples on markers not often checked that raised some questions. Superman needed to know what was going on; what had gone on. He needed to know what he and his friends had been fighting against was just smoke and mirrors, and not the tragic outcome of a once great friendship. The desire for answers, answers, and more answers kept him at Lex's side.  
  
In the meantime; Lex had slept through the night and into late afternoon the next day. The sedative had worn off in twelve hours, but Lex had stayed asleep due to exhaustion. In that time the computer, and the people involved in Lex's care, had run many theories on what had occurred to land the young Luthor where he was now.  
  
Alfred stepped in, passing out cups of tea, cocoa, and coffee to everyone. "I believe the computer has finished running its scenarios."  
  
"Yah, the computer here highlighted the flaws between the two blood samples; I ran the data through backpack as well. Both computers agree that the Lex in the prison is a type of clone." Gear stated.  
  
Batman nodded. "Not exactly a clone as we know it. More like an imperfect biosynthesized casing copy of the patient we have here."  
  
Superman looked at them. "Imperfect?"  
  
Static could only scratch his head. "I don't understand what either of you are saying."  
  
"OK, think of it this way. Imagine wearing a suit or just clothes; now, think of the clothes in the sense of not cloth and threads." Gear tried to explain.  
  
Static broke in. "Yah, OK, I'm with ya so far."  
  
Superman, too, was hanging on to the simpler words.  
  
"Imagine wearing a person suit--a living, breathing and feeling outfit." Gear finished.  
  
Static raised one eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "You mean like in 'Silence of the Lambs', that type of wearing a person?!"  
  
Gear shook his head. "No, not like that; not just the skin, the whole human form."  
  
Superman sighed. "But how is that possible? I mean, in cloning, the copy is a separate being."  
  
"Yah those sheep, the kittens, and all the animals they cloned were their own life form." Static supplied trying to understand.  
  
Batman nodded. "It's not exactly a clone in the whole sense of the word."  
  
Explaining what they had found was harder than first thought. None of them could really expand on it since something like this has never come up at anytime. This was new ground to them all. It was not something simple, like shape shifting, world domination, mind control, or all of the above. The process of trying to further explain the situation was broken when Lex started to wake up.  
  
Superman leaned closer to Lex. "Lex, it's me Clark."  
  
Lex moaned in response. His eyes were moving rapidly under his lids, his muscles tensing and releasing. The group once again found themselves holding Lex down as he went through another episode of shouting and struggling.  
  
Alfred stepped up needle in hand. "Shall I give him another dose, sir?"  
  
Superman lightly pressed on Lex's chest. "We can't keep knocking him out. We need to find out what's going on and, only, he can tell us."  
  
"Maybe just give him enough to relax him." Gear stated, as he pushed down on Lex's kicking legs.  
  
Static helped Gear with the legs. "Yah, just settle him down."  
  
Batman nodded, controlling Lex's arms so Alfred could feed the dose into the IV. Soon, Lex's struggle lightened up.  
  
Superman released him. "Lex calm down; it's me, Clark."  
  
"Clark? Clark Kent? No, can't be! He doesn't know; it's a lie. Tryin' to trick me." Lex said drunkenly.  
  
From then on Lex clammed up. It was obvious; his blindness and whatever trauma he had suffered had spiked his distrust factor. Even under the influence of a sedative, he was still wary and uncooperative; but at least he wasn't screaming and fighting anymore.  
  
Superman sighed keeping his hand on Lex's shoulder now. "Now what?"  
  
"We could wait until he calms down on his own, but who knows how long that will take." Gear suggested.  
  
Static shook his head. "That's whack; we need to know what's going on now!"  
  
"Master Bruce has been working on a computerized memory projection device." Alfred piped in. "Though, it is still not operational at this time."  
  
Batman scratched his cowled head. "It's just something I've been working on; but, as Alfred said, it does not work."  
  
"Backpack and I could take a look at it." Gear offered.  
  
Batman nodded, since that was what he secretly wanted. Alfred, sort of, dropped a hint before Bruce Wayne could enlist Richie's brain to help him complete his little project. 


	5. Answers Come on Dark Horses

Answers Come on Dark Horses.

A snag had come the next morning during one of Lex's more violent outbursts; his heart had begun to go into arrhythmia. The medical console had diagnosed that his heart had been damaged by the long term in cold storage. Until his cells healed, Alfred thought it was wise to keep him partially sedated.

It was tearing Clark apart to see Lex in this state of virtual helplessness. "In the long run, will he be OK?"

"The damage does not appear to be permanent. The heart is basically a muscle; and like all muscles without constant exercise, it, too, becomes atrophied in a way." Alfred reassured.

Clark sighed. No matter how you sugar-coated it, heart problems were heart problems. Without the heart, all that was left was a long, dirt nap.

"He will be fine; he just needs rest. Fortunately, with his elevated immune system, we won't have to worry about illness to complicate things." Alfred said.

Lex rested for the next couple of days. In the meantime, Alfred exercised Lex's limbs to start strengthening his muscles.

Batman and Gear worked together. Soon, they crafted a working device and came out to present it to the others. Batman held the receiver which looked like a flat-screen plasma TV; Gear held the transmitter which looked like a silver button with thin prongs on one side.

Static ran his hand over his dreadlocks. "So, you're gonna get the answers with a high definition TV and a deformed tic tac?"

Alfred brought Virgil a chair, gently nudging it into the younger man's knees to make him sit down.

"Not quite, man." Richie said.

Static sat down, "Thanks man, I think."

"What do these devices do, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked.

Batman tried to think of the best and most non-technical way to explain this to the others. Being mostly a solitary hero and thinker, he was used to just saying what it was, and how it worked, sparing nothing. 

"I'll handle this." Richie said since he was used to speaking in plain terms. "The tic tac, as you call it, Static, is the transmitter. Actually, it looks more like a miniature spree. Anyway, it is placed on the temple and turned on. When activated, the prongs, here, become liquid metal."

Static raised a finger. "Like in T2, right?"

"Yah. The metal pierces the skin and slips into the brain. It finds the memory banks located in the pre-frontal cortex in the frontal lobe of the brain." Gear continued pointing to his own head.

Superman stood, placing himself between Gear and Lex. "Won't that cause damage to his brain?"

"No no. The brain is a wonderful mystery loaded with stuff we don't know and will, probably, never know. It is a muscle, but what is more intriguing, is that it's folded and hollow. It is filled with fluid; the liquid metal can seep around the brain without leaving any injury whatsoever." Gear said backing away from Superman.

Batman placed a hand on Superman's shoulder. "Calm down, Clark; you know we would not do anything that would harm Lex. Trust me. This is all very safe; Richie and I did the research. We ran numerous scenarios and I promise you, no harm will come to him."

Satisfied with the reassurances, Superman sat back down.

"Once in the memory lobe, we stimulate him to recall the memories; the electrical currents from this will be transmitted to the screen" Richie concluded pointing at the monitor.

Static scratched his head, partially, getting it. "So we'll be, like, watching a TV show of his memories."

"Right! We'll be seeing through his eyes everything that happened and from the way he's acting, he remembers everything." Gear theorized.

Batman stepped forward. "We'll need to lessen his sedative enough to make him calm and open, but not enough to make him confused or difficult to manage."

Alfred nodded and went to adjust the young man's next round of medication. There was not much more they could do. In a few hours Lex would be ready, so Superman resumed his vigil by Lex's bedside.

When it was time, the transmitter was placed on Lex's temple and with a final push, it was activated. It stuck in place while the liquid metal worked to find the memory banks. When the probe had found the correct lobe, a green light blinked on the tab and the receiver flickered on.

Lex barely flinched when the source was placed on his temple nor did he move much, except for a slightly pained expression as the prongs pierced his skin. His eyes were open halfway and his pupils were slightly dilated.

Superman leaned close to Lex, "Lex, it's Clark. Tell me what happened to you."

Lex's mouth moved; but no sound was uttered. On the receiver the memories played out before them as seen through Lex's eyes and feelings filled in by Lex's own mumblings.

Lex had undergone a radical treatment, along with a regiment of vitamin and herbal therapy to regain the memories that electro-shock therapy had erased. The therapy had been done at SummerHolt Neurological Institute under the supervision of Dr. Garner, who Lex had been blackmailing. It had taken a long time, longer than he had expected; but Lex was a patient man. There were steps forward that would get counteracted by many steps back. Once cured he worked on taking his Father down for the pain he caused. Clark's secret was known, too; but it was, wisely, placed on the back burner until Lionel was dealt with. Let Clark hate him, he didn't care, if he played his cards right everything would be right in the end. The less known about other findings on his mind; the less ammunition to be used against him if things came to blows. Re-gaining the information he needed, without going to those who had contact with his father, proved to be more difficult. However, he, soon, had concrete proof of his Father's past illegal under-takings. The new data was the radical experimentation, and research of meteor affected individuals that kept oozing out of Smallville. He faxed what he knew to his Father's office and kept a couple copies in different, secure locations.

Lionel had responded and Lex had gone to meet with his Father, drawn to the man's great office. The meeting had not gone well for Lionel; Lex made his case, showing his father the information he had on him. Lex, pointedly, told the older man about the back ups he had made of the information.

Several weeks later, when he was under investigation, Lionel flew out to the castle in Smallville to meet with Lex. Lex met with his father in his office, as usual and they argued. Lionel did most of the shouting. Lex, only, glared at his father, just watching the older man lose it. It was, then, Lionel clutched his side and sank into the leather chair near the fire place. He struggled to fish something out of his pocket; it was a small zippered leather case and inside was a bottle of pills.

"Help me son. I need my medication." Lionel had implored.

Lex had not moved right away; but, then, he reasoned that he wanted to see his father behind bars. So, he moved to Lionel's side and took the case from him. He knelt down and went to work getting the child proof cap off. He never saw his father pull out the syringe, but he did feel the prick in his neck. He tried to pull away; but his Father, who was no longer ailing, pulled him back off-balance. Lionel wrapped an arm around Lex's shoulders and chest as he depressed the plunger. Lex got his feet back under him and pulled away from his father. He stood up, pulled the needle from his neck and threw it down on the floor.

Lex growled. "What have you done?!"

"Survival, my son! I told you once before; you are not ready to go up against me." Lionel said rising to his feet.

Lex felt his legs give out under him. He sank to the floor; his mind was swimming as he fell on his back. He blacked out a few minutes later. The last thing he thought of was Clark's safety, and fighting whatever came next.

Lex came aware some time later, but he was no longer in the manor house. This place was bright; and the ceiling was high and raftered in white painted metal. His father, suddenly, loomed into his line of sight.

"I told you before, Lex; you are my son and will always need me. This way you'll depend on me to live, without the persistent attempts to over- throw my kingdom." Lionel Luthor boasted.

Lex was still awake, but unable to speak or pull away from that false, kind, caress his father laid on his cheek. The drug he had been given was a neuromuscular inhibitor; just potent enough to paralyze his movements, but not so much that it would restrict his breathing or anything like that.

"You see, my son; your friend, Clark, always peaked my interest. He seemed to be on the tails of something extraordinary and I wondered about that. You would be there, as well, with a reason that would take any focus off your friend, but only served to increase my curiosity. Then, there was that odd blood sample; that's when I initiated the new experiments. My illness focused my resources on the serum made from that blood which would save my life." Lionel reflected.

The older man moved his hand from Lex's face to his shoulder; he sat down on a chair that was brought to him. His whole demeanor was like that of a caring father visiting his ill son. A smile crossed Lionel's leathery features; time had not treated Lionel well, and plastic surgery had not done much to help. Of course, the terminal liver disease Lionel had been fighting, also, added to the haggardness of his current features. Lionel's hair was still a long length falling just below his shoulders but had gone mostly gray which he covered up with a dye job. The glasses he wore all the time were a much stronger prescription, now. 

"You see my son; I had wasted all that time looking for the proverbial tree of knowledge beyond these walls. I looked for it in that filthy little town and in that mysterious blood sample. I made headway as you saw, time and time again. For every step forward, there were several steps back, and, surprisingly enough, either you were there or your little friend Clark. I got to the point where I expected some sort of interference from one, the other or both of you." He continued. "I am dying, well, have been dying for some time. As the emperor of my kingdom, I was not ready to pass the title to you, my son. You have shown me that you will not resume in the footsteps I have laid out for you; your emotions and this morality, you possess, have made you become someone I do not even know anymore. It was your pride that had time and time, again, turned you from being my heir to being my closest competitor." Lionel said while he sighed and acted disappointed.

He sat back in the chair; as a man in a lab coat came over and whispered something into his ear. The man then left and Lionel continued.

"As I was saying, the situation changed after I discovered I was ill. Time was running short for me; and I was being left with very little in the way of choices. I considered harvesting a part of your liver; I tried, but there was always someone standing in my way. In my darkest hour, I even contemplated suicide; but I decided I would be a better man than that. Me, committing suicide, could you imagine that?" Lionel chuckled. "It all started with a catastrophe; a miraculous accident concerning those Pandora's boxes we know were meteor rocks. Then, while you where foolishly trying to remember what I wanted you to forget, the next piece of my salvation came across my desk, thanks to Dr. Garner. Oh, you did not know he worked on my payroll as well as yours? You should have; I do, after all, own most, if not all, of everything that goes on in Metropolis. It was as if all the branches of my research came together, growing into the tree of knowledge I sought. All I had to do was get my faithful drones to put the pieces together; which brings us to where we are now." Lionel smiled and he started to stroke Lex's face again. Lionel leaned over Lex and placed some eye drops in his eyes. "Then came my miraculous cure, and your friend Clark was to thank for it. Precious Clark and the ever delectable Martha, rather, Senator Kent, they all played their parts so well. I always loved chess, even you my faithful knight, yes you, I moved you everywhere on my grand board."

Lionel finished and stepped back. "The procedure will be very painless for both of us. Your part of this little scene is actually done; all you have to do now is sleep. It may seem ghoulish; but I need an heir and I am getting to a rather desperate point in my life. I will simply become the successor I sorely need and all my problems will be finished. I know you're curious so I will now fill in the blanks. The mishap with the meteor rocks was in the form of an explosion; call it a big bang if you like because it created something miraculous. One of the scientists who got caught in the blast became the first piece. Now, I know it will seem unbelievable; but in that blast, the technician's essence was literally blown out of his body. By the time we discovered this, his energy had dissipated to a point. With what we recovered, we found, if this essence was contained, it would remain indefinitely which brings us to where we are now. Don't worry son, I could never kill you. Just think of this as early retirement; from here on out, your troubles with me and life are over." Lionel smiled.

As Lionel finished, once again a man in a white outfit came over near them; this time the one man was joined by several others. Lionel stepped out of view, as whatever Lex had been placed in was turned around in place; what he saw was himself, laying on a gurney.

"I am sorry it has had to come to this, but you left me with no alternative." Lionel said coming into view once more. "We best start now." Lionel said to the remaining man standing at his left shoulder. 

Lionel looked at Lex with his normal faux sympathetic look, like this was the most difficult thing in life. He had the same look when he stood above Lex, as he was about to receive electroshock therapy. The same façade he used whenever there was a place of turmoil and the press available for those fake hugs and those false looks of sympathy.

"It's for the best, son, trust me." Lionel said. "I'll take sweet care of Lana, don't worry about that."

There was a flash of a syringe; then the picture started to get all wavy, then fuzzy and finally dark. Then the picture lit up again and it was a difficult picture, white walls and cages on the windows, perhaps.

A soothing voice, "Don't worry, it won't hurt."

A pain--sharp--hurt in his hip or spine. Whenever there was wakefulness, there was ache.

The receiver, then, went dark. There was nothing more to tell.


	6. What Now?

(Chapt. 6.) What Now?

It was incredulous that any human being would do that to another, no matter what; but there it was and memories like that hardly lie. They had the proof right there in the lab. Still, Clark needed to hear the truth from Lex's own lips. Many years had gone by; so many betrayals came from the man behind this face. Superman refused to get his hopes up concerning Lex these days; usually, he would get let down hard. Deep within though, he really could not help himself. He and Lex had formed a bond in those several years in Smallville, and, despite everything that had happened, Clark could not seem to sever that bond.

"How are they doing?" Gear asked, catching Virgil peering into the med lab.

Static shrugged. "I dunno man; I've never seen the big guy like this. I don't know what to make of it; heck, I don't even know were to start." Virgil rubbed his hand over his dreads. "What I do know is that what we saw on that TV thing was not right. Nobody deserves to be treated like that; especially not by your own father! Papa Luther's a few cans short of a six pack."

"Yea, and with a major God complex." Richie said while nodding.

Static finished. "That's one sick dude--plain and simple."

With that, the two went off to practice their skills in the training room. The Fortress of Solitude was a semi-buzz with the answers they had discovered; even Wonder Woman stopped her thoughts of wringing Lex's neck. Batman had retreated back to Gotham to keep his eye on the evil there. Alfred had remained behind to care for Lex.

Lex's recovery had taken several weeks. They kept him partially sedated, but each week they'd lessen the dose. Soon he was sleeping, sort of, on his own and his night terrors were down to a minimum. Not that Lex would ever admit that nightmares were keeping him up at night. He was hobbling around on a cane with a soft cast on his right leg since he'd severely sprained his knee. He was still blind. The estimated healing for his eyes was slow due to his body's acclimating to being in an awakened state instead of in stasis. Clark had remained near Lex as much as possible, but he had to patrol the city. Lex, despite his weakened state, insisted on being informed about everything. After doing some physical therapy with Lex, Alfred brought him to the main computer to be brought up to speed on the world.

Lex couldn't see the news footage he was watching but hearing it was enough; his name was now parallel to that of a monster bent on genocide. There had not been a crime his name was, now, not attached to; there were actually a few new crimes committed by the other him. He was used to his Father's tendencies to take the blame off himself by dropping Lex's name. Lex could always redeem himself and clear his name. This, though, was entirely different; no amount of penance could fix the several years of destruction done. It was not just his name tarnished; it was his whole person now. His name and face were now attached to numerous world domination plots, virus manufacturing and release. Later news statements told of how the cure for the virus had been manufactured by Lex prior to the contagion being released. There was no honor attached to his name anymore; there was no chance of making lemonade out of the lemons thrown into his lap now.

"I really am a monster now. Thanks, Dad." Lex muttered.

The young man had been so engrossed in the news reels he did not hear the person enter the room. The girl slipped into the room soundlessly; she'd had a lot of practice. Being a detective on her home world had honed her sneaking skills. She got right behind the chair and raised her mace over her head. The mace burst to life glowing with crackling energy; it looked like a blazing comet as she swung it down on the man in the chair.

Lex heard a rustling like leaves on a tree; everyone here so far always announced themselves when they came into the room. Lex felt something was off; he was always good at pretending not to notice intruders. It gave him an edge, an advantage that would help him get an upper hand in an attack. Lex became statue still as he heard a hissing sound behind him; when he noticed a grunt of effort, he leapt forward out of the chair. He rolled on the floor as best he could with his leg in a cast.

Hawkgirl's mace reduced the chair to splinters and dust in one swing. She leapt into the air, her golden brown wings stretching out wide, as she headed at Lex ready to finish him off. Flying at the bald man on the floor; she released a mighty battle cry as she arched her mace down once again.

He had felt the little hairs on his arms stand on end. There was a loud explosion and Lex felt heat and a force hit him. Sharp hot pieces, of what Lex guessed was the chair, hit him in the arms as he covered his head. He lifted his head because he heard a high-toned roar coming at him at a fast speed.

"Hawkgirl, NO!" Richie yelled as he walked into the room. Without his gear Richie was powerless to stop what was about to go down.

Suddenly, there was a burst of power! A bolt of energy flew into the room and hit Hawkgirl! Encased in the blast, she was pushed to the side as Virgil used his ability of static electricity to stick her to the wall.

Virgil stood beside Richie, "I got her. Hold it there Hawkgirl; there's no rough housing in here with the guest!"

"Guest, GUEST! This can not be!" Hawkgirl said struggling against the electricity.

Virgil lowered his hand. The charge he threw at her would keep her hanging for some time "It's ok, Hawkgirl. Everything is cool. We'll explain; it's a VERY long story."

"Everything is NOT cool! That man is evil and should be destroyed; he deserves justice for his crimes!" Hawkgirl spat out; her mace ablaze with energy.

Her arms swung freely, and she used her mace to crack and demolish the wall she was pasted on. She fell from the wall, landing gracefully on the floor; her wings splayed.

"If you are taking his side, then that must mean you're under his control!" Hawkgirl continued.

Virgil covered his eyes as dust from the ruined wall filled the room. "Richie go get...well, anyone who's here. I'll try to get through to Hawkgirl."

Richie nodded. Usually, he would have quipped something about the Virgil Hawkins charm but this was not the time. He ran out of the room looking for anyone who could help; however, at this hour of day almost everyone one was on patrol.

"I don't want to hurt you Static, but if you bar me from dispensing justice, YOU WILL GET HURT," the winged warrior said raising her mace.

Virgil got ready to restrain the girl once more. "You don't understand. it's not how it looks. There's more to this whole thing!"

"You have forced my hand." Hawkgirl said.

She would have no more delays! With a strong throw, she used her mace energy heat to activate the sprinkler system in the building. Virgil soon found himself drenched and powerless.

Virgil grumbled. "Oh! That was a low blow."

Hawkgirl took the opportunity to fly at the younger man; she picked him up and shoved him from the room. Hitting the control panel, she shut the door and locked the room up tight. Lex Luthor's time was up and Hawkgirl was the wielder of the hammer of justice. This time Superman would not be able to stop her from enacting this righteous act.


	7. Justice or Execution

(Chapt. 7.)Justice or Execution.

Lex had heard a lot of noise; the air was now charged with trouble. He felt his way across the room trying to get as far away from the harsh voices as he could. His knee throbbed with new intensity as he crawled awkwardly away. Soon water spray hit him; there was more noise, and then the room was silent. This was not a good sign; Richie and Virgil were anything but silent. During the day, this place was mostly occupied by the two teens and Alfred. Sometimes a group called the Teen Titans stopped by, but those visits where becoming few and far between. As best he could tell, he was hidden behind or beside the computer he was listening to earlier. His back was against a wall, and he felt hard surfaces on either side of him. The overhead spray continued to hit him. Normally, he would not be hiding, but he was blind and injured.

Hawkgirl A.K.A Shayera Hol turned from the metal door. She narrowed her eyes and retrieved her weapon. Despite the descending water, she took to the air; from her vantage point near the ceiling, she easily spotted Lex.

"I have you now." She snarled.

She soared down to the corner. Without another word, she grabbed the young Luthor out of his hiding spot. She was too near the computer to use her mace; the energy would surely damage the nearby machine. Despite her small body frame, she was surprisingly strong. She easily took him into the air with her; her hand wrapped securely around his throat. Her other hand snagged his wrist; and she twisted that arm behind his back with a powerful wrench. She heard a definite pop as she stopped near the top half of the room. The lad in her hold cried out as his arm was twisted from the socket; she could have cared less. The young man in her grip looked about ten years younger then the Lex she had gotten used to seeing. The bald head and the brilliant blue-green eyes was a definite give away; this was the monster she would never forget.

"There will be no incarceration this time; you do not deserve anymore chances!" she proclaimed.

There was a new blaze of pain in his shoulder; he felt nauseous and light-headed. Lex swallowed trying to draw in a breath; the strain was causing his chest to get tight. The girl had a vice-like grip on his throat. Lex felt the blood pulsing in his face as his air intake was being restricted. He hissed as her rough handling of his person jarred his knee and shoulder. He still refused to give her more then that one scream when she twisted his shoulder. Lex wrapped a hand around his captor's slender wrist.

"Any last words, villain!" she asked, loosening her grip.

Lex drew in precious air; he coughed and croaked out a response. "You're making a mistake."

"Liar! Now you will take all your lies and crimes to your grave. Superman will not speak up for you this time", she hissed.

With that said, she threw Lex across the room. With no mechanical body armor or any mechanized suits, the young man was surprisingly light. She raised her mace to her shoulder as she watched the young man descend away from her. His head slammed against the metallic partition near the door and he fell to the floor. Blood welled up and started to flow from a gash on his forehead. His arm lay at an odd angle next to his body. This Luthor was becoming injured more easily than the one she was used to fighting. He did not move after his impact with the smooth gray wall.

Lex felt wind moving past him; there was no floor or any surfaces touching him. He then felt a familiar burst of pain on his head. The darkness cursing his eyes, now, invaded his brain as he plummeted into unconsciousness.

Hawkgirl smiled as the blood blossomed on Lex Luthor's pale head; she watched for a moment as the rivulets ran down masking his smooth features. This kind of cruelty would have, normally, sickened her to her bones because she was usually a very level headed being. There was no room for sympathy in dealing with this man; he had extinguished any natural rights bestowed upon normal people. He had made and released plagues, had tried to take over the world numerous times and had attempted to kill the members of the Justice League, especially, Superman too many times. These thoughts only served to anger her more and suppress her customary restraint. She would deliver swift justice for all the beings on earth he had harmed, as well as for those on other planets. Her mace, once again, appeared in her hand and she raised the weapon as she rocketed towards the crumpled man. The mace burst alive with fiery energy as she prepared to deal out the killing blow.


	8. Guardian Angel

THANKS to everyone who left reviews I appreciated it SOOO much. Sorry this Chapter too SO long to get on paper so to speak. My muse has seemed to have left me; but he has returned with a vengeance. (I HOPE!) Once again I own nothing of JL, Smallville, Teen Titans, or Static Shock. Lastly, I apologize for the rocky mechanics of this new chapter my editor(mom) is off on vacation. NOW ON WITH THE STORY…..

(Chapt. 8.) Guardian Angel

Superman returned from his rounds; his first stop was always Lex's recovery room, he was surprised to find only Alfred there. The kindly old butler was cleaning up the place and adding a few fresh items to give it a less then institutional smell and feel.

Thinking that Lex was in the bathroom, Clark changed out of his uniform. When he returned the bed was still empty, but the room did look homier.

Clark inquired. "Where's is Lex?"

"He insisted on being informed about his other self." Alfred stated.

Clark looked at Alfred with a surprised look. "Do you really think he should be out of bed?"

"He was very insistent, and he would not take no for an answer." Alfred said matter-of-factly.

Clark mused that even in a vulnerable state he could still manage to get his way by just telling people what he wanted. Lex always had that kind of command. Clark sometimes wondered if even back in Smallville whether it was truly the Luthor name, or the money that made people do what Lex wanted. Lex knew people by just spending a little time in their presence, and he knew after that what to say to charm them. He could charm the fangs out of a snake, with only a cunning smirk, and a few well chosen words.

Clark was about to continue questioning Alfred when the alarms went off. Shortly there after Richie came running in.

"Oh good you're back! Hawkgirl's gone on some personal manhunt! Come on!" Richie urgently said before running out of the room.

Clark had no choice but to follow; running down the corridor Alfred's voice piped in over his communications link.

"The computer shows that the sprinkler system has been activated in the archives room." Alfred said calmly.

Clark answered. "OK got it."

"One more thing that is where I left young master Luthor; he was watching the historical accounts the other Lex." Alfred said.

With that bit of information Clark sped past Richie, he came to a stop as he got to the archives room door. Virgil was soaking wet and beating on the metal door.

Virgil stepped aside. "Superman, its Hawkgirl! She thinks this Lex is the bad Lex that's in jail. I think she's going to kill him! I tried to stop her, but she drenched me, and then locked me out. I doubt she'll even listen to you S-man!"

Superman thought that lately Hawkgirl's actions were becoming more vigilante-like depending on who the perpetrators were. After this, Superman and the rest of the League would have to have a meeting about her irrational actions. Sparing no more time, Clark plunged his hands into the metal of the door; his fingers leaving sizable depressions. He plunged his hands into the door again, this time he gripped the dented metal and, pulled for all he was worth. The metal of the door was made of a stronger alloy then steel. The door moaned as he pulled on it; finally after one more groan the door buckled, and came off into his hold. He threw it to the side and rushed into the room; Virgil and Richie followed him.

Hawkgirl stood over Lex, who lay on the floor like a crumpled piece of paper. Her mace raised over her head, started to come down, zeroed in for a killing blow.

"Go get Lex!" Richie shouted.

Clark was already on his way there, he super-sped over to where Lex lay, and took the unconscious man in his arms. In a blink Clark carried Lex out of the way, at that very moment Richie threw a ball at Hawkgirl. Just as the orb got to Hawkgirl it burst into several cables.

Hawkgirl was distracted by Clark's intervention that she did not have time to react before she was entangled in the cables. She cried out in surprise, when she found herself suddenly bound. Her mace slipped from her grip as she fell onto her side.

"Arrgh NO!" She growled as her hip hit the floor.

Just then the sprinklers stopped showering them with water. Richie and Virgil surrounded Hawkgirl, without her weapon, the cables would effectively keep her at bay.

Clark did not even stop; he just kept running until Lex was back in the infirmary.

He looked at the bleeding broken man in his arms and thought. "It's just like old times."

Alfred turned and looked at Clark; the older gentleman already had the infirmary stocked and ready. He motioned to the bed; signaling for the superhero to lay the injured man on it.

Clark placed Lex on the bed. "He's bleeding."

Alfred was surprised at the panic in Clark's voice. He was even more shocked when Clark hovered in the infirmary, wearing a hole in the floor. He was there to help when Lex's shoulder was relocated in its' socket. He was there asking questions as the gash was cleaned, inspected, and stitched up.

Hawkgirl was sent back to the satellite in earth's orbit; her punishment for acting out would be doled out later.

Several hours passed before Lex regained consciousness, Clark was still sitting by his bed side.

"Alive still, once again I skirt the grasp of death, thanks to my guardian angel." Lex mumbled feeling achy.

Clark woke up when Lex started to talk. "Hey you're awake."

"I'm hurting so I guess that is a safe assumption." Lex replied.

Lex blinked a couple times, he was squinting slightly as he rubbed his palms over his face. He winced a little as he moved his recently relocated shoulder. Clark knew that he shouldn't try to move that arm too much; the muscles would be stretched out and sore for a week or so. Lex looked at him and blinked some more.

Clark brought his face closer. "What's wrong?"

"Clark? You look so different; older, and buff." Lex said as he looked at Clark.

Clark smiled thinking about all the work that goes into saving the World and Metropolis. "Well I keep myself on a tough work out schedule, wait, you can see?"

"Well not really seeing as making out faces and shapes in all the blurriness." Lex said.

Alfred moved in between them and shined a pen light into Lex's eyes. He tested the pupil reactions; he then got a chart set up to test Lex's vision. Alfred shooed Clark away to run other ocular tests. The results were better then the old butler could have imagined, the nano-healing devices were working but it was Lex's own mutated immune system that accelerated the process. He wasn't invulnerable, like previously noted, he also did not have super accelerated healing. What he did have, was bone marrow and stem cells that had become so changed that their roll and function had become unique. For Lex, his body was a temple; he was safe from many established viruses, bacteria and diseases. With his immune system guarding his body, he could heal quickly and safely from poisonings, and many injuries. His granulocytes, lymphocytes, and monocytes were produced at an accelerated rate. Everything his immune system did kept him safe from the intruding outer world; it did this in such a way that it never turned in on itself. He wasn't invulnerable; he was just harder to kill then normal people.

Clark absorbed this information like a sponge; he knew Lex had survived many blows to the head, and other injuries. He never suspected though, something like this, that Lex was indeed a product of meteor rock mutation. Clark had wondered about it, but Lex never showed any signs of extraordinary ability. Not like the other meteor casualties of Smallville, Kansas. As he grew up, Clark learned that not all super powers were flashy. Richie Foley was a perfect example of this; his contact with mutagenic substance caused him to be super smart. After Alfred was done, Clark tried to go in and see Lex but Lex dismissed him. This was the start of a depression that would last many weeks.


	9. Analysis of the Past

(Chapt. 9) Analysis of the Past.

Lex felt betrayed by everyone, including himself. From what he had heard from the new reels, everyone in Metropolis and perhaps the world saw him as a sociopath bent on world conquest. He finally got moved out of the medical bay once in his own room he stayed with in those walls. He ate enough to chase off hunger and hovering blurs that entered his room. He continued to audibly catch up on 20 years of lost time, the more he heard the more he fell into misery. When he finally saw the pictures to accompany the sound it was like, someone taking a hammer to his soul. Admittedly he had not been the best person in his life, but he would never have done things like this. It was like the Warrior Angel comics he had read as a kid, playing out in front of his eyes. Instead of being the bald bringer of swift justice that he wanted to be as a kid, he was the bad guy. He grew angry that he was portrayed as the criminal, enraged that his name was synonymous with scoundrel, and irate that no one had seemed to question this descent into villainy. It was like they all figured it was the proper next step for him.

He had seen the pictures, the man with his name traipsing around in a green and purple nearly spandex outfit. Real friends would know that he would NEVER don a suit a ludicrous as that. From what he had seen this super villain in no way resembled him. For one thing the man was older looking, his lips were too big, his eyes were dark and cold, and his voice was too deep. He could not really make out the man's height or weight from the film footage. This Lex Luthor also just recently wore what seemed like a technically sophisticated body armor suit, or maybe a mechanical advanced suit.

Lex learned that he has missed many fantastic things; the emergence of many heroic super powered beings, the mutual meeting of extraterrestrial beings, and the new technology shared and invented in the future. He felt like an out of place relic. Least there was one good thing coming out of all this; he was looking pretty good for a man his age, but not even that made him feel any better.

When he was done absorbing every sliver of information available about the life, people and events of this time, he ventured out only to sit in the common room to read. Virgil and Richie were there often playing some video games on the huge screen TV in the room. Lex could easily tune them out, but he never acknowledged them beyond polite greetings and partings. He could not venture outside both Clark, and Bruce Wayne were adamant about this. He continued his downward spiral into melancholy since he added bird in a cage to his list of feelings. He even turned down Richie's offers to play a couple rounds of chess.

In his stay at the fortress of Solitude, he also received exposure from the visiting team of super powered teens know as the Teen Titans. They visited one afternoon while Clark was away; they seemed to get along will with Virgil and Richie. The leader of these teens was a spiky haired youth called Robin, Lex recognized him from the newspapers, as the young ward Bruce took in years ago. He did not stay long to get the fully effect of the Titans since the alien girl called Starfire and the green adolescent known as Beast boy wouldn't leave him alone. The girl was too odd; she kept poking him, and looking at him too closely for some strange reason. The girl was too strong, and his arm ached by the second jab to the bicep. The boy kept changing into different animals and sniffing him; he was fascinated by this, but it soon weighed on his nerves. The other two remaining Titans; a tall muscular half man half machine called Cyborg, and a cloaked shadowy pale girl known as Raven just stared at him from seats around the table. He knew that after he had left, they probably talked about him incessantly.

In time, his leg, heart, and arm fully healed and he received a clean bill of health. His eyes had improved too; his vision was back to their normal better then 20/20 strength. To blow off his building steam he spent some time in the gym, it was hard at first, he was severely out of shape. He lifted weights, practiced the self defense and fighting skills he once knew. Soon he spent more and more hours in the gym pushing himself, and beating the heavy bag until he could no longer lift his arms.

He hadn't seen Clark in several days, and that was fine with him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Clarks' look at the brighter side of life attitude. He didn't understand, none of them would ever. To be highly betrayed by family and friends, left abandoned for years, and used for god knows what purpose. He had recognized the scars on his back and joints, even before Alfred had told him. They were consistent with getting numerous spinal taps, and other blood draws. He remembered the ugly scars and bruises his mother had received, after she had gotten sick. He wondered if her grave and monument were still standing, or had it been taken down or defiled it because of the last name of Luthor. He hoped with all his heart that people had kept their hate aimed at the person, not at the name.


	10. Tension erupts

(Chapt. 10) Tension erupts.

"What do you think will break first; the bag, or his hand?" Virgil asked.

Richie shook his head. "I think the man's having a mental meltdown."

Lex had been wailing away on the heavy bag for over an hour; he wouldn't let any one stop him. He just kept punching and kicking, over and over. Virgil and Richie were chased out of the room as Superman swooped down on them. The doors where closed and locked after they were beyond the threshold.

Clark stepped up. "Lex stop, you're going to hurt yourself."

Clark laid his hand on Lex's shoulder; he was caught off guard as Lex turned on him.

"So you thought of me so much as a friend that you actually believed I would become some mega maniacal super villain?!" Lex said in a venom laden voice.

Clark frowned. "Well what did you expect?! You lied to me left and right, kept important things hidden from me, and did a lot of other shady things."

"The pot calling the kettle black Clark, you where never straight forward with me." Lex retorted.

Clark inhaled deeply. "That's not the point, least my secrets did not endanger lives, you were developing a weapon that was killing things!!"

"I was doing what I knew would help the people of Smallville, the agriculture profits were quickly being drained by larger more non-traditional farmers." Lex said. "Check the figures yourself; weapon research and development was a lucrative investment. Thanks to me people had jobs, and stability to support their families!"

Clark really did not want to get into this, but it had been weighing heavily on his mind, and soul.

Clark sighed. "The work was not honest and you know it; you were doing it for your own gain!"

"The world according to Clark Kent; if he does not like it or approve of it then it must be wrong. Please tell me you have at least grown up out of that philosophy." Lex retorted his voice even. "You don't know what I was thinking in that time because you never asked. You entered college and the apprehensions you felt about me was only hyped by the talk there. I have to say many of my actions only helped to fuel those trepidations, but what patience I had for your homegrown ideals had started to wither."

Lex remembered those five years after having met Clark; the two of them had gone from friends to barely acquaintances. When they did speak, it was strained, and laced with anger. Lex had made several mistakes that he had tried to make up for, but in many cases it was too late. The final straw no doubt came when Lex impregnated Lana Lang; she could always see though him, and see the true person he strived to be.

Clark folded his arms over his chest. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?! Lex, I considered you a friend, but time and time again you betrayed what trust I gave you. Like you I too decided to give up; I stopped defending you, and telling myself you were OK in the end."

"I never asked you to defend me, or hero worship me, or anything!" Lex bit back. "All I asked was just your friendship, no more, and no less!"

Clark curled his hands into fists. "You deceived me; did those back ground checks on me, and had that room. You toyed with people like they were no more then a piece on you chessboard, and what you did to A.C., what was I supposed to think!?! Not to mention those people you experimented on, in those secret labs!!"

"I was detaining a security threat; a suspected environmental terrorist, who had by the way broken into a top security laboratory!! Lex said in a low calm voice. "To hand you the proverbial olive branch; I had that and any investigation into you halted, remember? As for those experiments, my Father started and ran the whole organization!!"

He hated the fact that Clark's mere presence could always make him have to justify his actions. He was Lex Luthor; he didn't have to explain himself to anyone!

"Anyway you made your mark in the sand; you believed anything Professor Fine told you, as well as my father, and anyone else who showed you one second of condemning evidence real or not! I backed off, and yet still you came around, but only if you needed something." Lex retorted. "You believed in everyone else except your so called friend! I was just there after that to make you feel holier then thou!"

Clark shook his head. "I believed you. I just had stuff I wanted to keep quiet. How was I supposed to react knowing you were spying on me!"

"I remedied that situation and I respected your request!! I never held secrets from you." Lex said.

Clark growled. "You lied to me though; left and right, and to my face!"

"Only after I knew you were never going to be open and honest to me." Lex justified. "Before we started to become at odds, I had never held anything back from you, but you never opened up to me."

Lex was growing weary of this futile exchange.

Clark shouted. "That is such crap and you know it!! You were about as open and honest to me as a window that has been nailed shut! What did you think I was going to do; tell you everything just because you were who you were?! My secrets were just that MINE, and if you had been a REAL friend you would have respected that over anything!!!"

"What did you want to know?! That my mother killed my infant brother to save him from my father?! That I took the blame, and ended up emotionally abused and neglected by my father. When my mother died it killed the last sliver of hope in my life, and I was left alone." Lex grumbled. "It was by only a stroke of luck that my hope was restored in Smallville. You were that hope Clark, but like all good things, my father makes sure they get taken away. Then Lana became my light, and you strived to drive her away from me at every turn."

Clark was could off guard. "Oh spare me the pity party! You used that same sympathy trip back then too. What would you know about real secrets?!"

"I have them and know how to keep others, unlike you!!" Lex roared. "I couldn't do anything without you blabbing or telling everyone you ran into. Just like a certain girl named Chloe!! I never let you in on the things that end up getting you hurt. My secrets CLARK KENT would have gotten you killed!"

Clark advanced on Lex. "Please I can take care of myself. You lied because you could, so why should I have told you anything!!"

"You know what FORGET it; you've made up your mind, no matter what anyone says. Clark Kent is always right; and damn everyone else!!" Lex shouted.

Clark finally lost it. "No Lex Luthor, forget you! No matter what anyone says, you'll retort and justify what ever you do, as long as it suits YOU and only YOU!! You've always been out for number one; everyone else is nothing to you!! You'd do anything for a quick profit; you're just like your father!! We saw the room at Luthor Corp. Towers where you collected all the people who cause troubled in Smallville!!"

"I kept your secret just fine!!!" Lex said his voice cool and even.

Clark was taken aback. "What??? W..What are you talking about??"

"Super speed, super strength, and super everything." Lex said. "I had my suspicions after many things; there were too many incidents, and too many anomalies that could not have been chalked up to coincidence. Too many rescues and excuses so to speak, and I am after all a certified genius. My feelings had been confirmed after a certain busy body named Lois Lane had been saved on a roof top in Metropolis. I believe at the time she was being kidnapped by the son of a diplomat.

Clark remembered that very well, actually it was Lois's performance on the stage of a strip club is what he recalled more. He couldn't help but blush as the memory; he was very naiveté back then.

"Before you over react I was not spying on you, I was too busy at the time with my political campaign. Metropolis was wired from rooftops all the way down to the subways." Lex said with a wave of his hand. "Once again you were caught on camera, just like in the museum, and just like when you disabled that weapon with your fish friend. Just because you take off your glasses and put on a spandex suit, doesn't mean you have properly disguised your secret identity. I intercepted the tape like all the others before my father got a hold of it."

Clark inhaled deeply, he could not find any words his mind was blank.

"Paranoia was the standard; all the cities of the world were wired in one form or another. It did not take much to perform searches into strange occurrences." Lex continued. "You where probably too busy playing mind games with everyone to realize that."

Clark steeled his eyes. "Mind games? Playing games was your genre."

"Ask Lana about that, you played with her heart as if it was no more then a yo-yo." Lex said spitefully. "I loved her, more then you wanted to ever realize. You had to keep coming around throwing your paranoia into her face. With all she had been through; she was scared enough with out your added fear."

What had happened to Lana and his baby had dug a hole into his already wounded heart. It wasn't Clark's fault, but the so called Superman certainly had not helped.

Clark yelled back. "I NEVER…"

"But you did, you did with everyone. Twisting them and turning in your hands with your good old boy innocence, and little glimpses of who you really were." Lex said and advanced on Clark. "You deny it because you didn't even realize you were doing it!"

Clark opened his mouth to blast a retort back at Lex, but nothing came. He wanted to say no, or that Lex was wrong. There was some truth to what Lex had said; he knew how to manipulate people based on their wants.

They were so different, yet so alike. Clark Kent was an innocent home spun youth, with new eyes and a bright outlook. Lex Luthor came to Smallville, a young man with world experience, brilliance, a shadowed past and a chip on his shoulder. Despite these differences fate brought them together and they clicked with each other. Clark could learn from Lex, and in turn Clark tried to teach Lex.

"So that's the rub, I guess" Lex spoke up.

Clark did not understand. "What?"

"It's from Hamlet, Clark. The answers to all our questions; is that we gave up on each other." Lex said.

Clark could not help but agree. "Yea I guess your right. Your world, your father, it all scared me, still does to this day. The lying, double dealing, brutality, and lack of emotion I could not deal with it."

"As much as I wanted to live in your world, feel the optimism, the honesty, the whole black and white view. I knew I could never reach it, I had too many years of reinforced training branded into my brain. To be a Luthor was to be a leader, be a conqueror, there was no time to be human." Lex quoted directly from memory. "I knew from personal experience that the world was dominantly in shades of gray, and run by not so honest leaders. To beat the game you had to know the game in and out."

Clark sighed; he knew Lex's view to now be true. The Justice League had many debates with military and leaders around the world. The shades of grey were all too apparent everywhere.

Clark sighed. "So now what?"

"For you, the cosmos. For me, I don't know. I have too many skeletons in my closet, and I am public enemy number one." Lex said.

Clark nodded. "Listen Lex, we could tell the media…"

"Tell them what the bald man they fear is not really Lex Luthor, but a disposable costume? A clone suit, that Lionel Luthor has been wearing, is to blame for all your woes. Doesn't sound like a good move to me." Lex said with a smirk.

Clark sighed. "Yea it does sound like a…."

"Pile of bull." Lex finished. "As I hear it, your Lex Luthor had already lied about going straight. This twist in the story would only complicate things."

Clark nodded. "You're right. Lex listen I…"

"Water under the bridge, or something like that." Lex said.

All the rage he had and was feeling had for now dimmed. He still felt angry, but his anger was directed at his Father. He needed to do one thing; before he could truly move on. "Clark I need two things from you."

Clark inquired. "Sure, anything with in reason."

"First, don't call me Lex anymore, that name is not who I am. Call me by my real name, Alexander." Lex started.

He hadn't been called Alexander in a long time; he liked to keep that name sacred. Only the people who had truly loved him had called him that; his Mother, and his Nanny. His Father had called him Lex since "L" names seemed to be key to being a Luthor. Perhaps it stood for a legacy steeped in darkness, whatever it was he did not want to be a part of it.

Clark was worried when Alexander had not continued. "Um…Le…I mean Alexander, What's the second thing?"

"Oh yes, I need to go to prison." Alexander said.

Clark raised his eyebrow. "Prison? For what? Why?"

"I need to pay someone a visit." Alex said with an all too familiar smile.


End file.
